Stephen Nathans-Kelly | Ryan Bodie's current passion, streaming live events, has established his company, Florida-based Studio 26 Productions, as the go-to live event webcast provider in his region and in some key entertainment areas, ranging from concert series in the spring to festivals in the summer and one-off arena gigs like a Chaka Khan show. Bodie estimates that his crew does roughly 80 live events per year, with maybe half of those involving music.

Liz Merfeld | Just in time for Halloween, Dustin Blake of Atlanta-based indy Productions, a 2010 EventDV 25 honoree, has resurrected the Trash the Dress (TTD) movement—and this time, he's added an element of the macabre. The story that plays out is one part bridal elegance, one part slasher film, and one part skin flick. Click through to the article to read all about it--and to see the world premiere of Blake's new film.

Kyle Oliver | Chris Duke's broadcast and web TV show Motorz combines the agility of a technology professional with the enthusiasm of a lifetime, self-taught car buff. The result is an automotive DIY show that can, in Duke's words, "keep how-to installations real for enthusiasts." But it does this without giving the impression that there's anything amateur about the decidedly DIY Motorz operation, and looking inside that operation provides a great lesson into what a multitalented and motivated independent producer can accomplish without a studio behind him.

Niels Puttemans | At a certain point in your event filmmaking career, usually after watching a fellow filmmaker's online clip, you start dreaming of your own destination shoot. Although we at Ever After have filmed a few destination weddings before, our "dream client" turned out to be a young couple from Singapore. The couple was planning an engagement holiday through Europe and wanted an engagement film to show on their wedding day. It got better from there: We were asked to suggest the best city location in Europe for this December shoot. Although Paris gets more attention, if you're after a romantic European destination in December, there is really just one choice: Vienna, Austria.

Liz Merfeld | Andrew Waite runs Higher Definition Media (HDM) out of Bakersfield, and just this June launched its wedding-focused spin-off, Lovestruck Films. In addition, he is an indie filmmaker, with 3 self-produced features under his belt, and was among the first presenters announced for IN[FOCUS] 2012. Registered with the film commission, Waite often gets to crew on blockbuster films and even rent out his gear.

Shawn Lam | Jensen opens his training DVD with points that reinforce my belief that I made a great decision in purchasing the FS100. He explains some of the great features that the FS100 boasts, along with the benefits for the end user. His DVD is filled with great visuals of the camera, its menu system, video shot on the FS100, and graphics to demonstrate key concepts such as a scale comparison of the Super 35 sensor to 4/3", 2/3", 1/2", and 1/3" sensors.

ShootEditLearn.com co-founders Cristina Valdivieso and Jon Connor have announced a new workshop they are putting on in collaboration with Kessler Crane this fall in Austin, Texas, called Masters in Motion. The event takes place November 14-16 at Austin's Alamo Drafthouse; its 75-100 attendees will attend eight workshops in addition to shooting electives.

Shawn Lam | The Atomos Ninja has allowed me to improve my acquisition and delivery video quality using the same video camera I've been using. The best part is that the cost to upgrade my recording is relatively low compared to the cost of a new video camera, and it exceeds the recording quality of AVCHD, the codec that has replaced HDV. I'm also not a big fan of having to media-wrangle-that is, to change and dump cards while on-site-and having a 500GB hard drive means I can record 11 hours in LT, 7.5 hours in 422, or 5 hours in HQ before I need to switch to a second hard drive.

John Goolsby | If you've heard about the Sony NEX-FS100, you've probably heard it described as one of two things: a game changer or an expensive DSLR. Which is it? Neither. Sony calls this new model a "motion picture camcorder." I'll bet the company spent a lot of time trying to decide how to name this new piece of equipment, and I think it made a good call. The FS100 does not take stills, and it is not really designed for event filmmakers, but with a few minor modifications, it does a fabulous job.

Philip Hinkle | In the fourth tutorial in our six-part series on Grass Valley EDIUS 6, we'll discuss Singular Software's PluralEyes, a third-party plug-in now available for EDIUS 6 that allows you, the editor, to easily sync all of your audio and video sources quickly on your timeline without going through the laborious task of doing it manually.

Randy Panado | Here we'll talk about two manufacturers, one that got out of the gate first with a product that's become the standard for LCD viewfinders for DSLRs, and another key provider of DSLR accessories and support products that introduced its entry to the LCD hood market a few short months ago. I'll also be talking about the lightweight rigs from these manufacturers that give you more versatility when you're shooting with these LCD viewfinders. The hoods/viewfinders in question are the Zacuto Z-Finder, the current leader in the DSLR hood market, and Cinevate, Inc.'s new contender, the Cyclops. The rigs are the Zacuto Striker and the Cinevate Proteus Simplis Pro.

Amina Moreau | A photographer sampling the world of cinema is generally familiar with the concepts of lens choice, composition, light, and color. But these tools are still new to many videographers who are entering the DSLR world and are, for the first time, encountering the abundance of choice and exploring light in a whole new way. By grabbing hold of a few of the most powerful concepts in photography, event cinematographers can unleash the creative potential we have in all of us.

Anthony Burokas | Canon's second MXF camcorder, the XF100/105 shrinks the size but keeps most of the features of its big brother, the XF300/305. With the ability to customize the colorimetry of most any camcorder these days, what else does the XF100/105 bring to the production table? Well, 50 Mbps 4:2:2 recording, good audio control and plenty of ways to directly access the most used features while you are shooting. Does the XF100 strike a good balance between "big features" and a "small camcorder?" Let's find out.

Stephen Nathans-Kelly | Recently, I had the strange and wonderful privilege of watching a contemporary home birth film that is not explicitly about advocating home birth or dramatizing childbirth, although in its own way, it achieves both. Produced by two Central Florida studios, Kat Small's Cinema Chic Films and the Nielsens Photography & Design, Born at Home is an intimate and inspiring family film.

Jason Magbanua | For a lot of people, producing a same-day edit at a wedding reception is a regular thing, and it's something that is second nature after years of repetition. But for others, who find just shooting a wedding to be stressful enough, producing a polished edit to show to a live audience that same evening seems like an impossible task. Here, international wedding filmmaking sensation Jason Magbanua breaks down the same-day edit production process that's helped to make him "the new national artist" of the Philippines.

Niels Puttemans | Though you can occasionally fix issues with subpar audio in post, nothing beats getting it right the first time. Because the DSLR cameras that have transformed our work visually seem to have ignored the vital importance of audio in filmmaking, here are some ideas on how to make sure you capture sound that is as crisp as your imagery.

PC-TS (Perspective Control through Tilt / Shift) lenses designed to provide creative DSLR and medium format photographers a tool that allows them to control perspective in the manner previously possible only with a monorail-style camera

Randy Panado | collaboration becomes a bigger part of our industry and more of us are booking weddings outside of our own local markets, either because of the nature of our online marketing, our need to book weddings in a higher price range than our market will allow, or both, traveling to gigs becomes an ever-bigger part of our businesses—even for those of us who don't live on relatively small islands. Hawaiian filmmaker Randy Panado's own reliance on remote gigs has caused him to create a "kit" that is very efficient in terms of incorporating everything he needs to produce solid work and, at the same time, being light enough for travel.

Marc Franklin | The Petrol Cambio is a small to mid-size camera bag that also, quite ingeniously, functions as a tripod. The wheels on the side of the bag are on shafts that pull out from the main structure, by about a foot on either side, and the wheels' fenders roll down to become wheel chucks. A more traditional two-stage tripod leg unlatches and folds out of the back of the bag to become the third leg.

Patrick Moreau, Kevin Shaw, and Brian Lockhart | Over the past year, Patrick Moreau and his stillmotion crew have been working on the Emmy-nominated NFL Network program The NFL Season: A Biography, Presented by SAP. The producers of the show hired stillmotion entirely based on seeing their wedding films. In this three-part article (all in this issue), Moreau, NFL Network coordinating producer Brian Lockhart, and producer and director Kevin Shaw offer their own takes on the story behind The NFL Season and the lessons to be learned from how it all came about and how it all played out on and off the field.

An array of new video-enabled DSLR backpacks will be shown, including the DSLR/Personal Computer Backpack, the hiker's DSLR Campack Plus, and the small-sized Digiback Jr. DSLR Backpack, a smart and ergonomic solution for DSLR transporting and carrying

New support is ideal for DSLRs because the unique proprietary camera plate features an anti-twist retainer for HDSLR cameras, because of the professional ten-step counterbalance system, and due to Sachtler's signature damping that offers three vertical and three horizontal grades of drag (+0) to fulfill the requirements for precise panning and professional operation

Jan Ozer | Whenever I shoot a live performance, I have an internal debate about which functions to perform manually and which to let the camera perform. Obviously, the panning and zooming is my job; the question is whether I also take on focus and/or exposure. I shot my fifth Nutcracker season just before Christmas, which adds up to about 20 shows total, and I actually reached some clarity on this debate.

Philip Hinkle | In addition to speaking at national events such as WEVA and IN[FOCUS], Ray Roman has initiated a series of 3-day workshops designed to provide intensive training for other event filmmakers. Joining Ray at an event held Jan. 18-20 in a number of southern Florida venues, was Konrad Czystowski, fellow EventDV 25 All-Star, frequent Ray Roman Films collaborator/second shooter, and founder of the newly minted FreshSox studio. Here's a peek at what Ray and Konrad shared.

Ron Dawson | Last month we began our two-part series about the short holiday film "For the Man Who Hated Christmas" that Ron Dawson produced for Giving101. The whole process, from booking the client through production, is an ideal case study on corporate film production (not to mention profitable production for nonprofits). Part 1 covered the business side of the deal. This month, we're covering the "fun stuff": making the film.

Niels Puttemans | For Ever After Video Productions, the Panasonic Lumix GH2 has redefined the possibilities of DSLR shoots. The solved aliasing and moiré issues, audio monitoring, zebras, no recording limits, improved low-light shooting, 1:1 crop function ... these are all reasons why we bought a second GH2 after one shoot with our first.

Marc Franklin | Despite all of its features, the Manfrotto 546 tripod is lightweight and easy to carry in the included padded tripod bag. This system is very robust. I expect it to survive many years of abuse in the field, with nothing more than the occasional scrape. I highly recommend the 546 system, and with a street price of only $730, you can't beat the value.

Julie Hill | When you're filming a destination wedding, you're stepping into a world of unknowns—unless you take the time to find out as much information as possible in advance and prepare for the worst. The more you invest in getting information, the more rewarding the experience—and the more satisfying the film you produce—will be. Have fun and travel safely!

Chrosziel has a prepared its 3DA1Kit (456-203DA1KIT) for the new S3D Camcorder Panasonic AG-3DA1 consisting of a LightWeight Support (401-415) with 15mm rods, the MatteBox 456 Academy Double and the Retaining Ring (410-65) shaped to tightly fit the camera's twin lens

Liz Merfeld | There's a wave of raw, demolike one-take music videos with an unmistakable live feel sweeping the web, and some savvy event filmmakers have thrown their hats into thering. Here we look behind the scenes of Bill Grant's boneshow and Jet Kaiser's One Take Shows, and get their spin on this new, viral field-recording phenomenon.

Kara Stellner | Although Unique University marked Adam Forgione's first foray into back-to-back all-day marathon workshops, it was also something of a warmup gig for Pennylane Productions, who will be taking Forgione's show on the road in early 2011, with workshops in 12 cities planned. This article should give you a good idea of what you can expect to see, hear, and learn if the Pennylane EDU 2011 tour rolls into your town.

Sara Frances | It's easy to recognize that all artists, not just videographers, filmmakers, and photographers, live by the meaning of this quote. Anyone who says that great video is all about equipment has only part of the equation right. Ignore the hype, but believe the mantra of knowing your gear inside and out.

Mark & Trisha Von Lanken | Working with DSLR footage creates new challenges in post, from ingest to format support issues to audio sync, and it takes a skilled editor and powerful, versatile editing system to create a masterpiece from even the most stellar DSLR footage. Here's a look at how the Von Lankens have adapted their short-form edit workflow to work DSLR imagery into the mix.

Ben Balser | I'm very impressed with the image quality in HD Monitor Pro, as well as its ability to zoom in and move around the zoomed image as well. The supplied overlays are also very professional and useful grid lines, such as action safe, title safe, rule of thirds, center crosshair, and alignment. HD Monitor Pro is a very complete package. With a MacBook Pro it could help take your production up a notch. You won't be using this for run-and-gun events. But if you're doing film-type work, TV spots, legal depositions, and the like, it could be a very practical and productive tool.

Mark Von Lanken | There are literally dozens of DSLR support devices on the market,. The challenge for all of us is to decide which support device will best fit our needs. My goal is not to steer you toward one particular model or to tell you which one I prefer, but rather to explore three different models—covering both the good and the bad—and give you better insight into each model.

Sara Frances | I'm searching to define and delineate where fusion has come from, why it's useful, and where it's leading the industry—or if it's not leading at all and is just a bunch of hype. Maybe fusion only muddies the waters, lowering the quality of imagery by masking imperfections and diluting the impact. That would mean also lowering the prestige and financial earning power of pure videography and photography. Or maybe using a variety of different elements really does create a finished piece of art that is worth more than the sum of the parts.

Greg Lam | We've all seen the dazzling work of our peers who have taken the DSLR plunge, and thus have a good idea of what migrating to DSLR can do for our films and our businesses. But we also know tat DSLR cameras are fundamentally different animals from their video-camera counterparts. What can we expect when we make the transition, and what do we need to know about the new skills we'll need to learn and other gear we'll need to acquire to make DSLRs work in our video workflow?

On display in the Canon booth will be the company's full line of EOS DSLR cameras and lenses, VIXIA HD camcorders, imagePROGRAF large format printers, PIXMA inkjet printers, PowerShot digital compact cameras, and REALiS high-definition projectors

Stephen Nathans-Kelly | Does 3D have a place in wedding filmmaking's future, or is that notion just the stuff of science fiction? We spoke with one of 3D's earliest adopters in the wedding world, Abraham Joffe of Sydney, Australia. A few months back, Joffe produced and delivered a 3D wedding film—Australia's first, but already not its last—and lived to tell the tale.

Exhibition showcases the newest HD technology in an informal setting that allows professionals to get hands-on experience with the latest groundbreaking gear while conversing with colleagues and industry decision-makers

Ben Balser | Pulling keys is usually a royal pain, especially if you're working with footage that someone else shot. The lighting isn't right, the key isn't simple, garbage mattes have to be keyframed, and spill filters have to be tweaked. It was a lot of work—until now. Phyx Keyer, a new keying plug-in that runs on the FxFactory engine, is a great bargain and a very well-developed set of useful and easy-to-use filters that are effective and fast.

Lensbaby's newest lens gives photographers a versatile and affordable option for Fisheye photography, plus access to all of the unique creative photography effects offered within the Lensbaby Optic Swap System

Liz Merfeld | As experts and studio principals, have you ever considered enlisting a studio-owning peer to assist you on a shoot, instead of a freelancer? Your peers offer a wealth of technical and business acumen—not to mention talent—that can translate into a worry-free workflow and a brilliantly polished product. What's more, if recruited to help on a colleague's project, you stand to gain perspective in the humbling role of second or third shooter on a colleague's gig. Isn't it about time you stopped flying solo every weekend and got into the collaboration game?

Anthony Burokas | Canon continues to twist and turn out new ideas in the ever-changing professional camcorder marketplace. The latest is their MXF-based XF-series camcorders. These innovative camcorders offer 4:2:2 colorspace, a generous 50 Mbps data rate, and the Material eXchange Fomat for direct interoperability with today's nonlinear systems. Are they a revolution, an evolution, or something else entirely? I test the XF300 to find out.

New creative effects lens for Micro Four Thirds and Sony a NEX cameras features the Tilt Transformer, letting photographers shoot tilt photography with Nikon mount lenses with an unprecedented amount of tilt

Philip Hinkle | Depending on how much you need an anti-shake filter—and particularly if you've experienced rolling shutter issues with your HDSLR or other CMOS camera—Mercalli 2.0 could be a great investment. The combination of improved shake reduction, reduced picture degradation from zooming in, and the much-needed rolling shutter correction make for a great update for a tool that was already my anti-shake plug-in of choice.

EventDV 25 all-star and WEVA CEA Gold winner Philip "Frogman" Hinkle reports directly from WEVA Expo 2010, the event filmmaking industry's largest convention and trade show, held August 23-26 in Orlando, Florida. Stay tuned for all three episodes of Hinkle's show, which will appear over the next week on EventDV-TV.

Anthony Burokas | Thus far, the need for external devices to record HD footage has primarily been served by Focus Enhancements' FireStore line. However, there has been growth in the segment recently and Datavideo has entered the fray with a unique design and price point under $500. Does the Datavideo DN-60 Solid Stare CF Card Recorder give the more expensive recorders a run for their money? Let's find out.

NEX-VG10 equipped with the same Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor used in the "NEX-5" and "NEX-3" digital cameras and compatible with the high grade "E-mount" series of smaller, lighter lenses optimized for video shooting with silent operation and AF

David Himot | If you're looking for an inexpensive way to create stunning time lapses, the Pclix LT is a great product. The fact that it can be programmed to trigger most cameras and can change intervals on-the-fly makes it a great tool. Lastly, the simplicity of using it right out of the box will make the world of time-lapse photography literally a few turns of the dials away for DSLR event filmmakers everywhere.

Elizabeth Avery Merfeld | After introducing themselves to the crowd at Re:Frame Austin, Society Hill Studios' Cristina Valdivieso and Jon Connor, along with partner Amy Reese now seem to pop up everywhere with the industry's inner circle. But how did these Young Turks manage to crash this party, seemingly overnight, and set themselves on the road to becoming one of the go-to studios in Philadelphia for couples wanting a high-end, artistic wedding film? (Read on for more info about their upcoming event, CANON FILMMAKERS LIVE!)

Chris Watson | If you're one of the thousands of videographers who are currently or have recently upgraded to a DSLR such as the Canon 5D Mark II, EOS 7D, or Rebel T2i for video, you've likely experienced the sticker shock of how much money you'll need to invest in lenses. The conventional wisdom is that there are two ways forward when it comes to lens purchasing: One way is to invest in the fastest glass you can find and write it off as the cost of doing business. The other way is to buy slower glass at a lower cost. We'll look at the pros and cons of each.

Ben Balser | This month we'll look at the workflow for ingesting and editing Canon DSLR footage in Final Cut Studio, since Canon has a released an FCP plug-in for the Log & transfer window. But there's more than one way to go about ingesting this footage into FCP in a format that lends itself to fast, easy editing.

Sara Frances | The darlings of my photo bag are my medium telephoto lenses, which can generally be considered the range from 75mm to about 135mm. I love them simply because they make everyone look good and in proportion.

Marc Franklin | Every year the NAB show teems with new product announcements and trends, and it often marks the real-world debut of tantalizing new gear that was under glass a year ago. Some of what you see is too premature for primetime, some new developments look a little misguided, and others are simply mismatched with the event filmmaking world. Here's a look at what's ready, what's real, and what's most relevant to us among the most exciting products that are making their way to market following this year's show.

Mark and Trisha Von Lanken | In Episode 5of their popular EventDV-TV series, 5-time EventDV 25 honorees and WEVA Hall of Famers Mark and Trisha Von Lanken explore the advantages of sliders in general and the DP Slider in particular for event filmmakers. To watch this episode and the entire Von Real series (plus other clips by the Von Lankens), click through to this page.

Sara Frances | When we're shooting at traditional events, presentations, or even just shooting on the street, the lowly normal-angle lens tells the story like it is. It's just right for an astonishing percentage of situations. The normal-angle lens reproduces the same relationship, proportion, and size of the objects that the eye sees. I can't imagine ever going out without a 50MM in my kit.

Philip Hinkle | The Steddiepod is designed to be used as a monopod, a tripod, and even a flying stabilizer. Can it be all those at the same time and do those functions effectively? Well, being a shooter who's always searching for the best and most cost-effective stabilizer to perform all these tasks without adding too much extra gear or breaking my budget, I thought it would be worth checking out; read on and watch the clip that accompanies the article to see how it performed.

Jan Ozer | Video technology and postproduction expert Jan Ozer examines Adobe's new CS5 integrated suite from a variety of angles, including new features and interfaces, a run-down of theadvantages of the new Mercury engine, performance comparisons between CS4 and CS5, and configuration suggestions for video pros working with the new suite.

Noga Griffin Arm is designed to hold lights, small cameras or monitors and any other production accessory that requires and extended articulation mount. It is bigger, longer and outperforms all other three-joint articulating arms on the market

Philip Hinkle | As he's hit the speaking circuit in recent months, 2009 EventDV 25 honoree Ray Roman has maintained steadfastly that most of the stunning shots that elevate his wedding work are achieved through basic, solid shooting and composition along with a quiet command presence on site. But 2008 all-star Philip Hinkle wanted to see for himself, so he followed Ray and his wife and partner, Jessica, on a recent shoot to find out how Ray Roman Films gets the job done.

Sara Frances | In this column, I'll focus on the easiest and most familiar lens to videographers: the wide angle. Event work lends itself to big drama-the beauty shot, the grand sweeping overview. If your standard kit contains just one extra lens, it's bound to be a wide or wide attachment.

Jan Ozer | If you're starting to focus more on the art of the production and want to experiment with multiple lenses, variable-speed recording, and more storyboard-based productions, the JVC GY-HM700U should be on your short list.

Shawn Lam | Sennheiser's latest offering is the G3, and aside from a pair of external charging contacts to charge the optional BA 2015 accupack rechargeable battery, it looks almost identical to the G2 that it's replacing. So the question I set out to answer for myself is this: Did Sennheiser make enough improvements to the G3 to entice me to upgrade my current G2s?

Shawn Lam | Sennheiser's latest offering is the G3, and aside from a pair of external charging contacts to charge the optional BA 2015 accupack rechargeable battery, it looks almost identical to the G2 that it's replacing. So the question I set out to answer for myself is this: Did Sennheiser make enough improvements to the G3 to entice me to upgrade my current G2s?

Mili & Sid Ghosh | South Asian royal weddings require planning, preparation, and conceptualization of an entirely different order than the typical wedding film—especially when you have to bring your crew and equipment to India to complete the project. But it can be done, even by U.S.-based wife-and-husband wedding film teams. Here Mili and Sid Ghosh present a creative director's guide to grand-scale epic wedding film production that will make even your royal clients proud to have hired you.

Sara Frances | Attention Fusion still/video shooters: The honeymoon with so-called "bokeh art" is over. The harsh facts have been revealed. This is the first column in a series aimed squarely at alleviating user panic and at getting the Fusion equipment babies trained and ready to work for you.

JVC will demonstrate a GY-HM700 camcorder outfitted with Zacuto accessories and a JVC HZ-CA13U PL Mount Film Lens Adapter, plus its popular GY-HM100 handheld camcorder. JVC will also showcase a number of monitors, including the GD-463D10U 3D display, as well as the SR-HD1500US Blu-Ray Disc and HDD Recorder combo deck

Jerry Cleveland | Since I knew I wanted to incorporate the 5D into my wedding and event video equipment arsenal, I started doing some research into how to make the camera steadier and how to ensure that I was shooting in focus, especially when working outside. It had to be easy to unfold, easy to adjust, fast to set up, and lightweight. I settled on one line of products: the DSLR Gunstock Shooter Gorilla Kits by Zacuto.

Shawn Lam | Can a lite product ever be as good as the full version? The name itself implies that something is missing. Does that presumption hold true for Kessler's new lite version of its flagship KC-8 Basic crane, the KC-Lite 8.0? Read on. I think you might be surprised with the results—I know I was.

Anthony Burokas | I was recently tapped to work on an independent feature film, a Western set in 1880s Texas shot on the Panasonic AG-HPX300. In essence, it was a video shoot. But there were also some fundamental differences. Based on several days of experiences there, I have a few recommendations for those embarking on a similar path: 11 lessons learned about indie filmmaking from my sojourn into that world.

Stephen Nathans-Kelly | Wedding-day interviews are the sort of thing that used to give videography a bad name, but done right, and in the right setting, interviews can help elevate wedding and event filmmaking into the realm of powerful, character-driven storytelling. Here we learn from four leading wedding and event filmmakers renowned for the compelling, revealing, funny, and moving stories they collect in their interviews with the key players in their events, and the seamless and powerful ways they incorporate these interviews into the films they produce.

Elizabeth Avery Merfeld | Last fall, Canon shook our world when it released the transformative EOS 5D Mark II, a DSLR featuring full-frame HD video and dynamic depth-of-field control. Along with others of its ilk, the 5D is revving up videographers' creativity, smearing the line between the photography and videography industries, and ushering in (some say) a new era of photo-video fusion. With several months of use under their belts, we asked a handful of early adopters for their take on how the 5D has impacted their businesses and where (if anywhere) their first forays into fusion have taken them.

Elizabeth Avery Merfeld | Last fall, Canon shook our world when it released the transformative EOS 5D Mark II, a DSLR featuring full-frame HD video and dynamic depth-of-field control. Along with others of its ilk, the 5D is revving up videographers' creativity, smearing the line between the photography and videography industries, and ushering in (some say) a new era of photo-video fusion. With several months of use under their belts, we asked a handful of early adopters for their take on how the 5D has impacted their businesses and where (if anywhere) their first forays into fusion have taken them.

The AG-HMR10 handheld recorder and the AG-HCK10 compact camera head, which can be connected via optional cables (in 3-meter and 20-meter lengths), will be available next month at suggested list prices of $2,600 and $1,800, respectively

Elizabeth Avery Merfeld | In the 4 years since Mili Ghosh began Memories in Motion in Chicago with the goal of offering high-end Bollywood-style videos to a niche South Asian wedding market, her hands-on approach—consulting in details right down to makeup—has taken her all over the globe. From opulent weddings with hundreds of guests in her hometown of Chicago to royal weddings in India, Ghosh combines her own personal artistic vision with a devotion to her couples to create cinematic wedding videos with a flair not found anywhere else.

Ron Dawson | A few months ago I saw a clip that StillMotion had put together for fellow Canadian company Cinevate (makers of the Brevis 35mm adapter, as well as a variety of other camera gear), starring a new slide-rail system called the Pegasus that allowed the shooter to create smooth, dollylike shots. I recently had the opportunity to test the system, and here's a look at how it performed on a series of shoots that required some smooth dolly-type shots.

Elizabeth Avery Merfeld | Have you ever dreamed of doing a wedding shoot in which the guests and wedding party already knew and loved your work, and so they showered you with compliments throughout the day? Or one in which youy got the most candid, natural shots of even a camera-shy couple? Enter the Save the Date video: a short film produced far in advance of the wedding and distributed via your blog, Facebook fan page, Vimeo, or—less commonly—on DVD, in lieu of traditional Save the Date cards.

Anthony Burokas | As great as the new CMOS HS cameras on the market may appear, the reality is that the infamous "rolling shutter" CMOS image distortion can be easily seen when you bounce the camera up and down lightly, or when you pan the camera side to side—things you probably do routinely when you are recording with the camera in your hands instead of on a tripod. Here we quantify and qualify these issues with CMOS imagers compared straight-up with their CCD counterparts.

Loyd Calomay | The Glidetrack is a portable and very affordable dolly system that can be used quickly and easily to add the "wow" factor into any production. Its design is simple: a single rail that has a carriage mount for your camera that slides smoothly as you push it.

Hal Slifer's 3 Questions goes on location in Plymouth, Newton, and Massachusetts' North Shore; bids farewell to the photomontage; sings the praises of the same-day edit; and looks ahead to the upcoming WEVA Expo.

Stephen Nathans-Kelly | Real Weddings is exactly what it sounds like: an hour-plus DVD that encompasses all the content the Von Lankens deliver to a bride and groom. But what makes this DVD most valuable is the two commentary tracks--one for shooting, one for editing--that run through the entire disc, breaking down virtually everything they do. Also featured: 2 video clips from the DVD!

Stephen Nathans-Kelly | Real Weddings is exactly what it sounds like: an hour-plus DVD that encompasses all the content the Von Lankens deliver to a bride and groom. But what makes this DVD most valuable is the two commentary tracks--one for shooting, one for editing--that run through the entire disc, breaking down virtually everything they do. Also featured: 2 video clips from the DVD!

Elizabeth Avery Merfeld | Steve and Laura Moses have been called the "prom king and queen" and "model husband-wife team" of wedding video. But forget the awards and accolades for a moment, since they're not what define this couple, nor do they tell the whole story of their lives in this business, or this business in their lives. Here's a brief review of their road to success and what they saw and learned along the way.

Elizabeth Avery Merfeld | Steve and Laura Moses have been called the "prom king and queen" and "model husband-wife team" of wedding video. But forget the awards and accolades for a moment, since they're not what define this couple, nor do they tell the whole story of their lives in this business, or this business in their lives. Here's a brief review of their road to success and what they saw and learned along the way.

Canon announced today it will release a firmware update for the EOS 5D Mark II allowing users to manually control exposure when shooting video. The new firmware will be available for download June 2 on Canon's support website

Lee Rickwood | Partly as a way to support today's multipurpose HD and DV cameras, for example, companies are incorporating a new appreciation of event videography shooting styles and situational requirements, in particular the "grab-and-go" approach that following a live event necessitates, as well as the realization that many pro video people use many different products for different jobs-from pure-play consumer to top-of-the-line professional

Lee Rickwood | Partly as a way to support today's multipurpose HD and DV cameras, for example, companies are incorporating a new appreciation of event videography shooting styles and situational requirements, in particular the "grab-and-go" approach that following a live event necessitates, as well as the realization that many pro video people use many different products for different jobs-from pure-play consumer to top-of-the-line professional

Building on the success of the HD Classic Soft filters with their Micro-lenslet design and the Black Frost filters using Black Micropore technology, Schneider has developed a new line of diffusion filters that combines the best attributes of both

Shawn Lam | Ultimately, your choice of camera is going to be determined by your preferences, your requirements, and the fit with your video business. For my business, the pairing of the HVR-Z7U and HVR-Z5U is the clear winner in this latest face-off of high-definition video cameras.

Lee Rickwood | New solutions for recording, storing, and archiving digital and high-definition video content bring the realities of a tapeless workflow closer and closer to an effective and economic working reality.

StillMotion cinematographers road-test Canon's game-changing HD camera on a series of destination wedding and music video shoots, and they reveal some of the camera's remarkable strengths and limitations for event filmmakers.

StillMotion cinematographers road-test Canon's game-changing HD camera on a series of destination wedding and music video shoots, and they reveal some of the camera's remarkable strengths and limitations for event filmmakers.

New issue features Mark Von Lanken's definitive review of the Panasonic AG-HMC150, 5 expert opinions on how to construct an effective wedding demo, Ben Balser's tutorial on working with sound in Final Cut Pro, and new columnist Mark Foley's tips on how to get great on-site audio at live events

Whether filming sharks off the Great Barrier Reef, snorkeling in the warm waters of the Caribbean or simply wading in the water at your local beach, the Canon WP-VI Waterproof Case and corresponding VIXIA camcorders are ideal devices for capturing both video and photos

Mark Von Lanken takes Panasonic's new professional AVCHD camera, the AG-HMC150, out in the field for a series of wedding shoots and examines its usability and features, tests its low-light performance, and offers comparisons to Sony's popular Z1U. NOW AVAILABLE: ALL 5 VIDEO CLIPS THAT ACCOMPANY THIS ARTICLE!

With the introduction of the Letus35 2/3" B4 Compact Relay lens, Zacuto is now the premier dealer giving independent filmmakers all of the components for an affordable depth of field (DOF) shooting system on a 2/3" camera

New AVCCAM recorder and camera utilize advanced compression (MPEG-4/AVC High-Profile) and are ideal for applications in video production, sports coaching, healthcare, law enforcement, remote operation/ surveillance, and much more

Peter Chung | The Indicam Pilot (not to be confused with the Steadicam Pilot) is a low-cost camera stabilizer that gives you what you need in a camera stabilization system without all the bells and whistles associated with the other two models, which makes its offering more affordable and appealing to the aspiring filmmaker.

Lee Rickwood | As high definition and high-end cameras such as those from RED Digital Cinema, Arri, and Sony become more popular among feature filmmakers and wedding videographers alike, we need more power for location shooting of almost any kind, but particularly for long-form HD production—and the manufacturers are responding.

Anthony Burokas | Can single-chip camcorder models priced less than $1,000 and bearing the bold "Full HD" logo do the job of prosumer and professional camcorders costing many times that price? In this article I'll take two high-end consumer HD camcorders into the field—specifically, the wilds of the Alaskan bush—to see what I can do with these little devices.

Operators can increase the field of view with no loss of ability to zoom, instantly shift the focal range to telephoto when needed, or enjoy the ultra wide angle of view and remarkable barrel distortion of the widest fisheye

Marshall Levy | I always film a wedding ceremony with at least three cameras--usually four or five and even more if I have an assiatnt. This article will discuss how I position those cameras at typical Jewish and Christian ceremonies, along with strategies for getting the best coverage possible.

Patrick Moreau | The challenge for us as videographers, is how to achieve a very shallow DoF with sensors that are much smaller than those our photographer counterparts use to create a similar effect. The solution comes in the form of a sexy, black carbon fiber tube that attaches to the front of your camera, the Brevis 35 adapter.

Stephen Nathans-Kelly | The latest installments in Mark & Trisha Von Lanken's definitive series on motion techniques for wedding and event video shooters picks up right where MCT I left off and adds tips for handheld cameras, and provides fascinating behind-the-scenes looks at first-dance shooting and how the Von Lankens cover bride and groom prep. Essential stuff.

Marc Franklin | NAB, the annual national broadcast convention, always features a few great new products in the event videographer's wheelhouse. Here's a quick guide to the best products for our market from this year's show, divided into three parts: cameras, production support, and postproduction.

Mark Von Lanken | After I transitioned to a handheld camera (the Sony Z1), I wondered where I would find a camera bag that would hold most of my accessories. My research found the Petrol PCPR-1 as the perfect solution for me. At a street price of $149.95, it's a real bargain.

Michael Y. Wong | The Steadicam Merlin is the company's latest attempt at providing the professional videographer with a fully functional yet affordable Steadicam, complete with all the bells and whistles, as well as the ease of use these support devices provide.

Joe McManus | The man behind the #1 YouTube video, "Unicycling in the Streets of Manhattan," talks to EventDV contributing editor Joe McManus about the joys of Glidecam shooting and extreme unicycling, as well as the challenges and advantages of producing Glidecam-enhanced documentaries, weddings, and more while riding a unicycle.

Designed to hold larger cameras such as the new EX1 from Sony, the HVX200 and the RED One camera, but also accommodates cameras such as the Z1U,DVX, G1,FX1 with plenty of space for accessories such as a matte box or follow focus

Ben Balser | For those that produce multicamera live-switched events, the MCSDI-1 can boost you to uncompressed signals from lower-priced cameras, increasing your final product's quality, and decreasing your overhead. A clear winner for those that do this kind of work!

Daniel Boswell | For years I've been waiting for a camera that would deliver high-quality HD images, shoot great in low light, include progressive capabilities, and be able to get very clean slow motion via overcranking for specialty shots. I also was looking for a tapeless workflow for Same-Day Edits--all for under $10K. On paper, Sony's new PMW-EX1 offers everything I'm looking for--but does it deliver?

Shawn Lam | Is the whole greater than the sum of the parts? That's the question I set out to answer when I tested Sachtler's SOOM, a new tripod system with three components that function on their own or together, on a series of 31 event shoots over a two-month period.

Anthony Burokas | Even though professional and prosumer camcorder prices haven't substantially changed over the years, the quality of the footage, and the features you have at your fingertips, have increased dramatically since the era of plubicon tubes and 3/4" tape. One the most revolutionary changes is the most recent one: the arrival of compact flash storage in mainstream HD video acquisition.

Lee Rickwood | Finding the best vantage point for camera positions at live video events is often a serious challenge. A good line-of-sight is crucial for the best shot and most telling composition, but often physical hurdles must be overcome. Sometimes, all that's needed is a little creative ingenuity. At times, a dedicated device is required. Here are some of the latest and greatest entries in the camera support market.

Mark Von Lanken | The Multi Rig Pro is my answer to attaining the stability of a shoulder camera from a handheld camera. I use it for a wide variety of events, from capturing the toasts at rehearsal dinners to shooting football games. With the Multi Rig Pro, I can shoot anything with my Z1 without missing the stability of my DSR-250.

Joel Peregrine | For the past 8 years I've relied on monopods to bring the level of my productions up while at the same time allowing me to shoot more discreetly, and use longer focal lengths than shooting handheld would allow. The Manfrotto 560B takes these benefits one big, creative step further by adding a smooth pivot point at the base, and shows that Manfrotto was clearly paying attention to the needs of run-and-gun videographers.

Shawn Lam | Sony'z Z7U is the best camera for the event video market today. It has the picture quality of the Canon XH A1, the low-light sensitivity of the Sony DSR-PD170, the interchangeable lenses of the JVC GY-HD110, the flash recording capabilities of the Sony XDCAM EX1, and none of the CMOS problems of the Sony HVR-V1U.

Anthony Burokas | SD continues to be something we have to deal with today, even if tomorrow, all we'll want is the HD version. So if you can walk away from an event with all your footage in both SD and HD, you're covering all your bases.

Tony Cucci | Anton/Bauer's ElipZ system, designed specifically for the smaller DV and HD camera user, provides a dependable way of powering a camera for a full day of shooting in the field, as well and a lighting system that can stand up to the demands of a live shoot.

Lee Rickwood | With change being the common denominator these days in both location video and electoral platforms, many event and wedding videographers will be impacted by new rules and regulations affecting the way we work, and the way we get to work.

Daniel Boswell | If you're like me, you're always looking for ways to make your videos look more like film. In my opinion, there is something about the aesthetic of film that makes it preferable to the look of video. One key element of the "film look" is shallow depth of field. Here's how I achieve it using the Letus 35mm Adapter.

Jan Ozer | Before each shoot, I print a checklist of configuration items for each camcorder and each shot location. This forces me to consider how I want to set each option beforehand, and helps me verify that I've done so, especially when working with multiple shooters. Here are the items on my checklist and some thoughts to consider for each.

Lee Rickwood | Portability is crucial to event videography. We shoot, edit, and deliver quality programming on-site almost as much or more than we do from a home or studio setup. This month we'll revisit the portable production theme with a look at solutions for storing and transporting digital media.

Zacuto's product line for Letus35 Extreme features a complete setup for handheld use that is lightweight - while integrating all the functionality of Zacuto's highly rated line of camera support accessories

Ben Balser | If you do corporate work, serious sports shooting, indie filmmaking, and the like, Panasonic's HPX500 is an awesome camera to use. Great color depth, detail, improved depth-of-field, and ease/flexibility of control, along with the wide flexibility of recording formats, make it very worth its price.

Anthony Burokas | Sony recently unveiled its latest HDV camcorders, the HVR-S270 and HVR-Z7. This wasn't just any ordinary product announcement; with the release of these new models, HDV arrived as a true professional video acquisition technology.

Lee Rickwood | New gear—including cameras, microphones, lights, decks, presentation devices, and even office accessories—is now available for all aspects of wedding and event video production. And several recently announced products will be appearing soon. Here are just a few of the highlights.

Customers who buy a new HVX200 from an authorized U.S. Panasonic reseller will receive one 16GB P2 card (a $900 value) and a copy of The HVX Book by Barry Green included inside the box at the time of purchase

Marc Franklin | 16x9's 0.7X Wide Angle Converter lens will work for most handheld HDV camcorders. The EX 0.75X gives you broader compatibility (like the HVX200) and better quality for another $200. If you shoot with any of the compatible handheld pro HDV/HD camcorders, I highly recommend getting at least one of these wide-angle lenses to widen your shooting horizons.

Lee Rickwood | New solutions for professional videographers can bring smoother shooting and solid support with the latest Mini DV, DV, or HDV camcorders. Following last issue's look at new steadying devices, here's some updated information about fixed stick supports and new fluid heads.

Maxell 8cm single layer Blu-ray BD-R and BD-RE are compatible with the latest Blu-ray camcorders providing a recording capacity of 7.5 GB allowing the disc to store one hour of full high-definition picture quality at 1920 x 1080 pixels

Anthony Burokas | Since I saw Sony’s prototype HDV version of the DSR-250 at NAB, I’ve been envisioning the features of my dream HDV camcorder. For me, it’s not a shoulder-mount but a handheld FX1/Z1U-sized model. Some available handhelds have one or two of these features, but I want all of them in a single unit. Is that so much to ask?

Medium-payload robotic head is ideal for stand-alone use or integrated with Vinten Radamec robotic platforms, including the new FP-145 Robotic Pedestal, FPH-145 Integral Height Drive and FBH-175 Bolt on Height Drive

Anthony Burokas | To get a sense of what solutions are available and how well they'll work for event shooters today, we compare five relatively inexpensive wireless systems from Azden, Sony, and Sennheiser for their performance on run-and-gun live event shoots.

Shawn Lam | The internet has made it much easier for conference planners to find us, and this market is now reemerging as a lucrative one for responsive companies that can adapt and develop a strong reputation and web presence.

Lee Rickwood | Light-emitting diode (LED) technology is opening up creative options for professional video lighting, offering greater punch, cooler operation, enhanced control, and adjustable color temperature output. Here are some of the latest and greatest LED lights designed for the cameras we use.

Anthony Burokas | This winter, I attended a few local professional videographer meetings, and then the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) annual convention in Las Vegas. Having some time to reflect on what I've seen, I've noticed a dichotomy that warrants examination.

Lee Rickwood | New Lithium-ion battery systems for DV and HDV camcorders are promising more power output, greater charging options, and new form factors for professional video use. Along with new lights, camera supports, and handy "gadget bag" filler items, the accessory market for wedding and event videographers is booming—and turning a shade of green!

Marc Franklin | If you need an affordable HDV camcorder with professional-level controls and a pro lens, and want to take advantage of the superior 720p60 recording format, the GY-HD200 is the best choice on the market today, and well worth the extra $2,450 you'll spend in stepping up from JVC's HD110.

Event will feature product demonstrations from some of the most respected presenters in the industry. GraVT Expo is for everyone, weather you are producing home movies, wedding videos, corporate, or broadcast video, SD or HD you will see a product that works for you.

Shawn Lam | If exposure is like the three bears’ porridge, then Goldilocks was on to something—“just right” is the only way to go. Digital video cameras are very unforgiving when it comes to proper exposure, and this month we’ll examine the technically challenging issue of stage lighting and learn three techniques to ensure proper exposure.

Lee Rickwood | Numerous new lenses, filters, lens add-ons, and related equipment are now available for popular HDV camcorders, both from third-party solutions providers and from the manufacturers themselves.

Marc Franklin | Petrol's new camera backpack is well-built an can comfortably carry everything you could possibly need to shoot and edit on the go. Once you've got it configured for your particular camera, the Petrol PCBP-3N ($249.95) is an excellent solution for confidently carrying your laptop and camera where you need to go, whether it's locations across the street or across the world.

Ed Wardyga | ay's subject is cables. Almost everyone who has videotaped an event has run cables at one time or another. But there are right ways and wrong ways to choose and use equipment to minimize possible mishaps and injuries and damage to the cables themselves.

Stu Sweetow | Remote control systems like the Grizzly Pro can help make multicamera event video production a single shooter’s job, and near-instant delivery an attainable goal. It can also give you camera control in venue locations where videographers dare not tread. Here, some Grizzly Pro users describe how the system has benefitted them in their wedding and event video work.

Lauri S. Batwin | The Sachtler 75CF is a very well designed, sturdy, lightweight, easy to set up tripod. The DV-6 SB Fluid Head boasts a 10-step counterbalance which saves a lot of time during setup, and especially when switching between different cameras. Using this tripod makes me glad I finally decided to take the plunge and invest in a quality product that I will use for many years to come.

Ben Balser | The dv MultiRigPro is a usable, well manufactured, intelligently designed support system built with top-quality materials. It's easy to configure and adaptable to a range of configurations and shooting styles, and will keep you comfortable and flexible through a long day of shooting. If you do a lot of handheld work or run-and-gun shooting, this is a product worth a serious look.

2006 was an action-packed year for new product releases in the event video space, from the pre-NAB launches of Adobe's Dynamic Linked Production Studio and SmartSound's Mood Mapped Sonicfire Pro 4, to the CMOS-charged HDV cameras that electrified IBC. And if the much-hyped debuts of HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc didn't make much of an impact in our business this year, there were plenty of new entries that did. We polled our contributing editors and columnists for their Best of 2006 list, and here we present the winners.

Lee Rickwood | Most new remote control systems are aimed at the camera itself, providing zoom and focus control, pan and tilt, or a combination of both. Here's a survey of the systems on the market today best suited to event video work.

Lee Rickwood | You've heard it before: there is no perfect battery, and every type has some sort of trade-off. The one underlying consideration is the increased need for power. Here's a sampling of the battery types and brands available today for powering all your live event gear.

Stuart Sweetow | High schoolsports is a market niche well worth exploring. Parents use DVDs to help their college-bound kids get athletic scholarships. Coaches appreciate videographers who get them clear shots they can use for game analysis. Here we talk to five videographers who have scored with high school football, and examine the gameplans that have worked for them.

Geoff Daily | The most dramatic shift in wedding and event video today is time itself—the timeshift video, with which an increasing number of videographers are imposing imaginative alterations on an event’s chronological sequence to create dazzling and emotionally compelling results.

Lee Rickwood | Innovative equipment designers and technology manufacturers have come up with monsters and gorillas, beanbags and stickies, in order to meet videographers’ need to create more unique, more engaging compositions, shots, and angles.

Lee Rickwood | Innovative equipment designers and technology manufacturers have come up with monsters and gorillas, beanbags and stickies, in order to meet videographers’ need to create more unique, more engaging compositions, shots, and angles.

Ben Balser | The VX2000 and PD170 may be the kings of wedding videography, But for industrial and commercial work, they don’t hold a candle to the Panasonic HVX200, a “digital film” camera at a price that independent producers can afford. Adding a compatible, high-capacity DDR like the FS-100 offers even more versatility.

Ben Balser | Cinekinetic's CineSaddle is a super heavy-duty beanbag made for video/film cameras. It's a storage and support system in one that's got pockets for everything, and enables videographers to get shots they can't get with any other support device.

As the newest camcorders make their way onto the popular HDV stage, they are supported by a growing cast of accessories--among them, cool new super-telephoto lenses, night vision image enhancers, and 35mm film lens adaptors for HDV camcorders.

For many of us—early adopters or not—2005 was the Year of HDV. But there was much more to 2005 than HDV. We saw scads of significant products released that had nothing to do with HDV and of course, event and corporate videographers the world over continuing to do dazzling, innovative, and effective everyday work with or without HDV. To provide readers with a highly subjective "Year in Review" report, we asked EventDV's many esteemed and opinionated columnists and contributing editors to reflect on the new products they saw in 2005 and tell us what struck them as the most exciting, and the biggest boon to their own work.

Lee Rickwood | In this first installment of a two-part report, we'll reach into a mixed bag of DV gadgets and accessories that have been updated for the latest HDV models as well. In Part Two, we'll look through the new lenses and filters available specifically for HDV camcorders.

Anthony Burokas | Now that we have a genuinely reshaped HDV landscape, with most of the major manufacturers accounted for, here’s an updated look at the various HDV—and accessibly priced “true” HD--camcorder options that are currently available.

More than ever, good camera support equipment—be it tripod, monopod, steadicam device, or jib arm set-up—is the foundation for good video. We’ll look at all these categories in the next few editions of Gear & Now. This month, we’ll start with tripods.

Producing stage-production videos doesn't require a degree in rocket science, but you may need some spe cialized equipment and "insider" tips on how to use it effectively. With the right tools and techniques, you'll be well on your way to producing videos that will have customers standing in line to put money in your pockets.

Getting the perfect shot sometimes requires more than just luck. That's why in this edition of Gear and Now we discuss zoom, wide-angle, and anamorphic lenses. First we touch on how they work, and then we look at specifications of one of each type of lens from three leading manufacturers: Canon, Panasonic, and Sony.

MiniDV brought digital video recording to the masses, but dropouts, head clogs, and the post-production lag of real-time capture make it a less-than-perfect medium for pros. More and more videographers are turning to hard disk digital video recorders to back up or even replace tape. Here’s a look at the latest in tapeless DV storage.